Come Back, Be Here
by inkysplots
Summary: Argus Filch hates Valentine's Day. Little does he know that this particular Valentine's Day is going to change his life forever...


The Great Hall looked like Cupid had vomited all over the tables and walls, pink glittery hearts strung from the ceiling, paper heart streamers above the fireplaces and sickeningly sweet pink candles floating over the food. Argus grimaced as he surveyed the hall, decorated to perfection before the students arrived, and muttered under his breath " _Filthy children,_ why do they need to celebrate love and romance?" His musings were interrupted by a familiar rubbing against his legs - his _beloved_ Mrs Norris.

With a swift scoop, he tucked her in the crook of his arm and stroked her fur absentmindedly as he ambled his way to the staff room.

"Dumbledore is _crazy_ , indulging these _miscreants_ ," he lowered his voice so only his sweet could hear. "Knows I hate that damn room, stinks of magic. He could have sent me the important bits by owl," his grumbling continued as he reached the door of the staff room.

With a sigh, he gave Mrs Norris one last chin scratch, feeling her purr under his fingers, before setting her down on the stone floor. "Keep an eye out for any trouble my sweet," He said lowly, straightening up to knock on the staff room door.

His knocking was _abruptly cut short_ by the door swinging open to reveal a beaming Sybill Trelawney. "Come in, come in my dear! I have seen your future and today will the most joyous day for you!" Argus rolled his eyes as he walked past her and shuffled to the darkest corner of the room, away from prying eyes.

To his dismay, the entire room was decorated in the same vein as the Great Hall - pink, glittery and full of hearts. He glanced over at Severus to see a dark scowl, and took a little joy to find he was not alone in hating the holiday.

"Thank you all for coming! Today is a day of love, however I'm afraid it will also be a day of mischief," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with delight as he said this. "There will be a great many love potions administered today, as a result, all staff will be armed with counter potions to neutralize the effects. Professor Snape has been so kind to provide these for us,"

Snape slouched down in his chair as he heard his name mentioned. Argus noticed the stockpile of vials behind Dumbledore and his heart began thumping louder in his chest. Magic, he _hated_ magic. But this didn't require wands so he had no excuse.

Dumbledore began dishing out the potions, with a warning that any students who drank it would need a brief check up by the infirmary afterwards, whilst Filch hung back against the far wall. He didn't want anything to do with magic.

"I suppose it's just like drinking cough syrup," he muttered to himself, wringing his hands to try and squeeze out his fear and discomfort.

Dumbledore approached him with a kind smile and a soft pat on the shoulder, handing over a satchel of small vials. "It's as easy as offering them a drink, dear Argus," he said, checking his watch. "I _must_ go, they'll be downstairs soon," Another pat on the shoulder and he was gone.

Argus practically ran out of the love drenched room, stepping into the small corridor with an audible sigh of relief. He whistled for his beloved, deciding to lurk in his office until breakfast was over.

At least there was no pink down there. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, the first students began excitedly pouring out of their common rooms, _shrieking and giggling_ echoing down all seven flights of stairs. Argus scowled, stalked into his office and slammed the door shut.

He spent the next few hours updating the banned items list from a WWW catalogue, re-organising his filing system and keeping an ear out for the catflap on his door.

After two hours, he checked his watch and opened his door to begin his rounds. First up was the Great Hall. "Gotta check they've all buggered off," he muttered. The Great Hall was destroyed, food thrown everywhere, hearts ripped off the walls, candles floating in circles instead of staying put. Argus took one look and shut the door. Not his problem, _not today_.

The satchel thumped against his side gently as he made his way to the first floor. Nothing unusual here, it was a Saturday so no classes but for the most part the floor was empty.

There was a small gobstones club (most likely unregulated judging by the furtive glances he got) in the corner of a transfiguration classroom but Argus simply looked the other way. Not his problem, _not today_.

He whistled again for Mrs Norris, growing slightly concerned she hadn't found him yet. He hoped she hadn't wandered into the forest again, Hagrid had extorted a favour from him last time she needed rescuing.

As Argus made his way up to the second floor, he scowled at the paper hearts strung along the wall. "Brats must've stolen them from the Great Hall," He strode over to them, ripping the flimsy paper off the stone walls. He crumpled the pink and red paper with all the venom and hatred he could muster, Valentine's was not for the single, unwanted and lonely.

As he turned the corner to toss out the ruined decorations, he saw a dark lump on the floor up ahead. Walking towards it, he could see it had fur and a tail - the ruined decorations dropped from his hands in shock and disbelief.

Argus fixed his eyes on the shape and shakily tried to purse his lips to whistle. A faint high pitched note made it through, and he saw the lumpy shape twitch in response. Argus stood there frozen, eyes fixed on the body of his sweet. "No," he whispered, the lump in his throat preventing any noise from escaping.

"No, no, no, no…." He had a sudden urge to stroke her, hold her, cradle her again. His feet flew over the flagstones, carrying him to the body of Mrs Norris. Argus felt his knees crack as he dropped onto the floor but he didn't care.

She was breathing, blinking slowly at him and twitching her tail feebly. Argus heard footsteps and raucous laughter from behind, heard the clink of a bottle, and the laughter stopping dead as they approached him.

"Uhm, Mr Filch, sir? This was just behind you," A young girl, deathly pale with shock, held out an empty potion bottle to Argus. He snatched it up and saw the label was for a love potion.

Throwing the bottle on the ground, he fumbled with the straps of the satchel, growling at them when they would not cooperate with his agitated fingers. A whispered spell, and they snapped open, contents laid bare for all to see.

Argus glanced up and saw the grim face of Professor Snape, who gestured to the vials. "I do not know if it will work. But it's worth a shot, no?"

Argus, wide eyed and struck dumb, nodded, grasping a vial by the stopper. In his haste, the cork popped off, spilling a few drops on his fingers. He tipped the vial down Mrs Norris' throat, massaging it gently to get her to swallow, and waited.

His fingers smoothed the fur on her side, other hand stroking her under her chin, in her favourite place. He could feel her body shaking under his hand, her eyes were closing for longer and longer and her tail had stopped moving.

"I'm not letting you go, not again," Argus was possessed, fumbling to find another vial. He tipped vial after vial down her throat, massaging her to get her to swallow, and quietly praying to a God he knew he didn't believe in.

His eyes watched her like a hawk, keeping an eye on the rise and fall of her chest. Rise. Fall. Rise. Fall. Then nothing. Argus put his hand close to her mouth and felt nothing. He held his head against her chest, listening for a heartbeat he needed to hear. "Come back my sweet, please, come back,".

As he listened to the silence, he noticed her fur was wet. Tears dripped off the end of his nose as he refused to move his head. Severus reached for him, but Argus shook him off. "It'll beat. _It's got to._ I gotta hear it…"

The only noise was the sound of the students being shepherded away, and the swish of a pale lilac robe coming into his field of view. Sobs were flowing freely from Argus but still he refused to move his head, convinced he would hear her come back to him.

"Argus, my boy," Dumbledore started, before crouching down to his level. "Argus, she is gone I'm afraid," There was that damn hand on his shoulder _again_ , which Argus shook off with a roar.

 _"NO! She can't be!" His voice broke as he whispered, "I need her, she's all I've got,"_

Dumbledore squeezed his arm gently and offered him a handkerchief. It was then Argus realised he had lifted his head off of his sweet's body. As he looked down at her, he saw her eyes were closed, tail most decidedly still.

His heart sped up, tear stains on his trousers, hands shaking as he hesitantly reached out to touch her. He withdrew his hand and howled. It ripped through his very soul, forcing itself out in an ungodly scream of pain and despair. He fell forward, cradling her body as his tears continued to fall. _It was never meant to end like this_.


End file.
